Line-carrying projectile



O. NEWLANDER.

LINE CARRYING PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11. 1919.

1 ,322,601 v Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLAF NEWLANDER, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN & BRITISH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDG-EPORT, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LINE-CARRYING PBOJECTILE.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Application filed June 11, 1919. Serial No. 303,362.

T 0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, OLAF NEWLANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 4:23 Ridgefield Ave, Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Line-Carrying Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life saving apparatus of the type in which a gun is employed to discharge a projectile for the purpose of carrying a life line from a shore station to a wrecked or stranded vessel or from such a vessel to the shore or elsewhere.

In the use of such apparatus certain difliculties are encountered which it is the object of the present invention to overcome. Inasmuch as the rope or line must be carried at the rear of the projectile during its flight, but must be attached to said projectile when the latter is loaded into the gun, it has heretofore been customary to attach the ropeor line to the rear end of the projectile and to insert the latter into the gun with the rear end thereof toward the muzzle, it being impracticable, with the apparatus heretofore used, to load a projectile having a line attached to its rear end into a gun with said rear end toward the breech and to fire said projectile from the gun in this position. As a result, it is necessary for the projectile to invert itself, or turn end for end, after leaving the muzzle of the gun, which action is unreliable, materially impairs the accuracy of the trajectory, and decreases the range of the gun in proportion to the charge employed. For the life line it is desirable to use Manila or other textile rope on account of its lightness and flexibility (wire cable being too stiff and heavy for this purpose), and in use this textile rope, when carried by the projectile, is frequently burned or scorched by the flare of the powder as the projectile leaves the gun, so that it has been found necessary to cover said rope, in proximity to the projectile, with asbestos or other fire-proofing material.

The present invention has for its object to provide a projectile for use in apparatus of this character which is adapted to carry the life line at its rear end, but which may nevertheless be loaded into and fired from the gun with its front end toward the muzzle, and which is so constructed as to avoid all possibility of burning or scorching the line,

thereby avoiding the necessity of the fireproof coverings above referred to.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect, will best be understood from the following description of one form or embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the gun, showing the projectile and firing charge in loaded position therein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the projectile leaving the muzzle of the gun;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the projectile per se,

Fig. 4 is a still further enlarged detail view, partly in section, of the rear end portion pf the projectile;

Fig. 5 is a rear end elevation of the projectile.

The gun may be of any usual or approved type comprising a barrel 10 mounted by means of trunnions 11 on a suitable carriage 12, said gun having the usual breech block 14 and elevating means 13, and being pro- .vided with a firing device 15 of any suitable character.

The projectile 16 is preferably of the approved cylindrical form having at its forward end a conical nose 17. The rear end of said projectile is formed with a diametrically disposed transverse slot 18 in which is seated a short link 21 pivoted on a transverse pin 22 disposed with its axis in a diameter of the body of the projectile perpendicular to the slot 18, whereby said link may be swung outwardly about said pivot substantially into the axis of the projectile. The link 21 is of a width substantially to fit the slot- 18 and of a length to extend to one end thereof, the outer end of said link being shaped to constitute a portion of the regular perimeter of the. rear end of the projectile. The effective length of the slot 18 is equal only to the length of the link 21, but for convenience of manufacture said slot is extended completely across the end of the projectile, the portion thereof not occupied by the link 21 being filled by a block 19 secured to the body of the projectile, as by a screw 20, the outer side of said block. when the link 20 is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 4.-, engaging the rear end of said link in such a manner that said block zind link completely fill the slot 18 and provide dt tlat rear surface of substantially unbroken per extending to the front end of the projectile:

Pivoted to the outer or forward end of the link 24 is a pair of short links 27 pivotally connecting said link 2 with the rear or' inner end of another rigid link '28 of a sufficient length to extend to or beyond the muzzle of the gun when the projectile 16 is loaded therein. The link 28 terminates at its outer end in an eye 29 to which the end of the line 30 is attached, said line being normally coiled in a drum 31 disposed with its axis approximately parallel to the axis of the gun barrel 10, and being drawn ofi from the interior of the coil.

In operation, the firing charge 23 and projectile 16 are loaded into the gun in the usual manner, said projectile, however, being placed with its nose 17 directed toward the muzzle of the gun and with the longitudinal links at the under side, the links 21 and 24 being seated in the slots 18 and 26 respectively, and the link 28 being extended outwardly to the muzzle of the gun, as shown in Fig. 1. jectile 16 travels outwardly in the barrel 10, the longitudinally rigid series of links 24, 27, 28 causing the end of the line 30 to be carried correspondingly forward. As the nose 18 of the projectile approaches the muzzle, theinner end of the link 28 will leave said muzzle, and said link will drop downwardly, and when the rear end of the projectile 16 subsequently leaves the muzzle, the link 24 will also drop downwardly, carrying the line 30 entirely out of range of the resulting power flare, as shown in Fig. 2-, and avoiding all possibility of burning said line.

Thereafter as the projectile proceeds on its WVhen the gun is fired, the pro course, the link 21 will be swung outwardly into a substantially axial position, tralling khchind it the links 2 27, and 28 and the :to the outer end of said transverse link.

2. A projectile having a transverse link pivoted substantially centrally of the rear end thereof, a longitudinallink' having its rear end pivotally connected with the outer end of said transverse link and extending to the front end of said projectile, and a third link having its rear end pivotally connected with the forward end of said longitudinal link and extended beyond the front end of said projectile.

3. A projectile having, a transverse link pivoted substantially centrally of the rear end thereof, a second link having its rear end pivotally connected with the outer end of said transverse link and extending to the front end of said projectile, a third link extending longitudinally beyond the front end of said projectile, and a pair of parallel links connecting the adjacent ends of said second and third links.

4. A projectile having a longitudinal slot and a transverse end slot communicating with said longitudinal slot, a transverse link pivoted substantially centrally of the rear end of said projectile in said end slot and substantially fitting said slot, a second link having its rear end pivotally connected with the outer end of said transverse link and extending to the front end of said projectile, said second link being seated in and substantially fitting said longitudinal slot, and a third link having its rear end pivotally connected with the forward end of said second link and extended beyond the front end'of said projectile.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

OLAF NEWLANDER. 

